The African Academy of Sciences International Research Management Staff Development Programme – (IRMSDP)

Overview:

The African Academy of Sciences and Association of Research Managers and Administrators (ARMA) UK are launching the International Research Management Staff Development Programme (IRMSDP) to contribute to the strand on developing individual capacity of research management staff. The programme is focusing on knowledge sharing and the development of tools and resources, created by teams consisting of research management professionals from across Africa and the UK.

This call for expressions of interest serves as an invitation to all research management professionals in Africa and UK working in academic and research institutions to lodge applications to participate in the programme which will involve

1. Virtual seminars/workshops to support individual professional development,
2. Innovation development to generate community benefit,
3. Staff exchange visits from the UK to Africa to facilitate relationships and knowledge exchange. 

DOWNLOAD Expression of Interest [PDF]

Objectives and Expected Outcomes

This is a practical skills and cultural learning programme for both the African and UK research managers with support from their institutions to integrate the lessons learned.  The aim is not only to build capacity, but to also strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange among the institutions. The African Academy of Sciences is especially keen to foster collaborations, while at the same time strengthening international ties. We are therefore inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from groups of research managers and administrators based within the same region.

The programme is also aiming to increase diversity and enhance inclusion of under-represented institutions and groups. We therefore expect proposals to include teams from multiple and diverse research institutions and under-represented groups, with a demonstration of sustainable impact.

The main outcomes from this programme are expected to be the collaborative resources that will be developed from the ideas and innovations proposed by the various teams. The co-created resources should aim to benefit all members and research management communities of practice. Participants will also be expected to produce short reports on their learning journey.

Key Themes

Scoping studies undertaken in Africa have shown that there are critical gaps in the African research ecosystem that need to be addressed to support a vibrant research culture and leadership at universities and research institutions. In their proposals, teams should therefore creatively describe how their proposed Innovation/idea aligns to one or more of the following themes:

1. Research management support functions and infrastructure
2. Professional development for research managers and administrators
3. Funding and collaboration for research
4. Research Uptake and Impact

Programme Activities and Timeline

The programme has three main activities

1. Virtual seminars/workshops
2. Innovations and project development
3. Staff exchange visits from Africa to the UK and vice versa.

Application Deadline

August 10, 2020 | 1200Hrs East African Time (EAT)

How to Apply

All applications will be submitted on the Ishango online system through the Africa or UK application tab.

Application Downloads

1. Expression of Interest [PDF]

Inquiries

All queries about this call should be addressed to ReMPro Africa at remproafrica@aasciences.africa or ARMA at eva@arma.ac.uk